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Baku Visionaries

In just two decades, Azerbaijan has put itself on the map as a country capable of hosting major sporting events. As preparations continue for the biggest event to come to the country, Duncan Mackay reports on how Azerbaijan under President Ilham Aliyev is building for the future.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev is a man who realises how important sport is in helping a country build its brand and reputation.

Azerbaijan has earned a reputation among many international federations as a good and reliable partner when it comes to staging major events.

Azerbaijan's First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva is playing an active role in ensuring that Baku hosts a successful inaugural European Games next year.

She is not just head of the Organising Committee but actively involved in overseeing the preparations. This has included greeting and being involved in the work of the Coordination Commission set up by the European Olympic Committees when they travel to the Azerbaijani capital to check on how things are going. It is a sign of how well things have been progressing that the Commission have ended each of their three visits full of praise for the organisation.

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Fact of the day

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Iranian judoka Arash Miresmaeili was disqualified for weighing in at nearly four pounds above the limit for his weight class of his under-66 kilograms match against an Israeli opponent Ehud Vaks in the first round. It was claimed Miresmaeili had gone on an eating binge to protest the International Olympic Committee's recognition of the state of Israel. Iran does not recognise the state of Israel, and Miresmaeili's actions won praise from high-ranking Iranian officials. Mohammad Khatami, the country's President at the time, was quoted as saying Miresmaili's actions would be "recorded in the history of Iranian glories". He was later awarded $125,000 by the Government - the same amount given to Olympic gold medallists.

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